DAHLONEGA — The fourth-ranked North Georgia softball team put on a great matinee show for a nice midday Friday crowd at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium, taking two games from Lincoln Memorial, 4-0 and 9-1.
The Lady Nighthawks improve to 20-5 on the season becoming the first team in the nation to reach the 20-win mark this season.
GAME ONE
Reigning NFCA National Pitcher of the Week, Kylee Smith (12-1), put on another strong performance in the first game of the day, tossing a two-hit shutout in her six innings pitched without allowing any free passes. Smith struck out six of the 20 batters she faced.
North Georgia plated three runs in the bottom of the first off two hits and a pair of LMU errors with an RBI single from Alishia Frierson and a sacrifice fly by Shelby Hammontree.
The Nighthawks tacked on their fourth run in the bottom of the fourth as Hannah McSwain knocked in Whitney Worth with a double to shallow right center, giving the game its final score of 4-0.
GAME TWO
Much like the first scoring rally of game one, UNG used a pair of hits and two Railsplitter errors to push across three runs in the bottom of the third to take the lead. Shelby Hammontree provided an RBI single through the left side that rolled off the arm of the left fielder attempting to field the ball that allowed an extra run to come in and advanced Hammontree all the way to third. She would then come in to score as Hannah McSwain reached on an error by the LMU shortstop.
The Nighthawks scratched across four more in the fourth inning to take a 7-0 lead, highlighted by Frierson's RBI double to left center. Lincoln Memorial scored their only run of the day in the next frame with Jennifer Moose's solo home run to left.
RBI doubles from Sydney Sprague and Frierson gave the Nighthawks the eight-run advantage they needed to end the game by way of the run-rule in the bottom of the fifth.
Bria Bush (5-3) picked up the win in the circle for UNG. Bush allowed five hits and three walks in her five innings pitched.
NOTES
- Alishia Frierson led the UNG effort at the plate with a combined 4-for-6 performance at the plate that included a pair of doubles and three runs batted in.
- Freshman right hander Kylee Smith has now gone 22.1 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run, the longest streak of her young career.
- UNG improves to 9-2 all-time against Lincoln Memorial and have won six straight over the Railsplitters.
NEXT UP
The Nighthawks return to action Sunday, March 5, opening Peach Belt Conference play against rival-Armstrong State. The twin bill is set for a 1 p.m. first pitch at Hill Stadium.
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